We need to hear from Mandy! Norrell could eliminate this problem if anyone could actually nail her down on these issues. Since she has tried to appear more moderate to capture Republican votes she is in somewhat of a dilemma. Can she really express her position on these issues? Her campaign web site strangely excludes any reference to them. Based on her response to her position on these important issues she stands to lose significant votes from one side or the other – either the liberal Democrats that support her, or moderate Democrats and Republicans that have also chosen to support her. Why can’t Mandy just forthrightly answer in public and on her web site what her positions are on abortion and Roe v Wade, partial-birth abortion, homosexuals and same-sex marriage, whether boy scouts should be able to use our parks if they exclude homosexuals, and prayer in schools. We know little about Mandy other than where she stands on public education, where she says she stands on taxes, and that she doesn’t want to force her religion on anyone. She will be facing legislation that deals with these issues. We all need to find out where Mandy really stands on these issues before the election. One thing we do know – whether she wrote this e-mail or not – she is most decidedly not Republican.

According to the Rock Hill Herald Mandy acknowledged the e-mail but then said her husband sent it. Once again Mandy assumes no responsibility just like she wasn’t responsible for campaign flyers going home in student backpacks because “she didn’t put them in the backpacks.” Mandy does not demonstrate the leadership or judgment needed to be a Senate representative. Why won’t she tell us where she really stands on these issues? Probably because she doesn’t want to lose her Republicans for Norrell votes. Tell us where you really stand, Mandy, and let the chips (or votes) fall where they may! Anyone who’s received her distorted campaign flyers which are more a smear of Mick Mulvaney than where she stands on any issues or her political experience (because she has NONE)knows that this e-mail and her in-the-gutter campaign tactics totally undermine her facade of the small town gal (or the virtuous woman) with the small town values that said we don’t have to leave politics dirty! Wake up District 16!

Well, this settles it for me! Will the real Mandy Powers-Norrell please stand up?!?!? You can bet this is going to everyone in my address book -I mean my friends, my neighbors, my church directory, school volunteers, and everyone I know that has a child involved in scouting programs. Maybe CN2 should do a documentary called MANDY EXPOSED! I’m just thankful that this came out before the election.

I bet they are freaking out and planning their next dubious flyer filled with more innuendos about Mick Mulvaney. How can anybody trust Mandy’s judgment? You can’t run on a moderate to conservative platform having sent this e-mail to so many people. Mandy definitely showed poor judgment in her distribution of campaign flyers at one of our schools, then denied responsibility because she didn’t put them in the children’s backpacks. Once discovered she told one paper that she brought in the box of flyers and told another paper that someone from her office did. Now she acknowledges this e-mail but then, once again, denies any responsibility claiming her husband sent it. She also conveniently failed to address the contents of the e-mail although it speaks for itself. How can we count on Mandy to tell us the truth and what can we expect from her as our senator if she is always changing her positions and story? This is troublesome. Mandy is way out of her league on this one. My advice to her would be – don’t give up your day job.

I talked to someone who is listed as a recipient of this email. He verified that the email is legitimate. Just an additional note of interest concerning her stance on schools and religion – I was a part of an effort back around 2000 that was working to bring released time education to Lacaster County Schools. This is a program where school children could with parental permission go off campus during an elective period (usually one hour a week) to receive Bible education. It is funded by private funds, and this program is in place all over the United States, as well as in many school districts in South Carolina. It was upheld – and also applauded – by the Supreme Court. I asked Mandy and her husband to become involved in our effort to bring this before our school board for consideration, and they declined, feeling that it should be illegal even though the Supreme Court of our country has given its stamp of approval.